


Baggage

by UnicornAffair



Series: Emma Gomez-Hart [32]
Category: Power Rangers (2017), Power Rangers Dino Charge
Genre: Alternate Universe - Parents, F/M, Past Abuse Mentions, Rating M teeeechnically for one scene, Trans Zack Taylor, but I didn't want the entire series to be marked as mature because of it, which is like a couple of general paragraphs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:35:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29430366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair
Summary: “Before we start whatever this is…I need you to know…I need you to understand, that dating me isn’t easy. I come with a lot of baggage.”Amanda is finally ready to trust someone and let them into her life
Relationships: Amanda Clark/Zack Taylor
Series: Emma Gomez-Hart [32]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1281236
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	Baggage

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! This is part three of what I've been working on for the past couple of weeks. Today is Emma Gomez-Hart AU. It only feels right as Valentine's Day is where this whole AU started. 
> 
> Warnings: Amanda's past does come up, and as for Zack I'm trying to the best I can with his gender identity <3

Amanda had gotten used to putting on make up to get ready for the day, she used to be a model…a magician’s assistant. She became a pro at hiding the bruises her husband left in a fit of rage so people wouldn’t worry about her. It had been over a year since she had taken the kids and run away from her spiraling marriage. Now she was in the bathroom, dressing up and getting ready to go on a date with another man. Was it selfish? Maybe…she wasn’t sure if this was even a great idea. Kendall, Chase, Riley…her kids, their safety, that always came first. _Always._

She had cut herself off from everything she possibly could. Social media, limited communications with her family…she couldn’t risk her husband finding her, finding _them._ It was lonely to say the least. She missed having someone in bed with her at night, someone to wrap her arms around, she missed affection, love. As the pretty girl, she always had a man at her side in some capacity, she was never without a partner. This year of starting in Stone Canyon she really got to know herself, trust herself, heal from the scars of her past. Sarah Grey…Sarah Grey Heckyl was no more and she became Amanda Clark.

Zack was someone special, she had met him through some of her only adult friends from Eastland. He was positive, bright, fun, he was so good with the kids. The boys could use a male figure in their lives outside of their father…and Kendall, even she put down a book to play games with him. There was a level of chemistry between Zack and Amanda, right at the start. It was something she was initially afraid of, something she had to swat down. She couldn’t jump into a relationship, not right away, not so soon after the move. The kids were having a hard enough time adjusting to their new lives as it was. Kendall struggled the most with her name change, Chase kept begging for a puppy while Riley…he would always ask when dad was coming home. Amanda couldn’t throw a _new boyfriend_ at them; she wasn’t ready to make that step.

“You look pretty, mom” Chase stood at the doorway of the bathroom, leaning on the doorframe, his arms folded his baseball hat backwards, “Where’re ya going?”

“I have to go to a PTA thing” Amanda scrunched up her face, “It’s going to be boring adult stuff” As PTA president the kids were used to her putting on her nicest clothes and make up to try and keep up with the parents who could afford to live in nice houses _and_ send their children to Eastland. “Did you need anything?”

“Is Zack coming to babysit us?”

“No sweetie not tonight”

Chase groaned. Riley, seeing that Chase was bothering their mom decided that he also needed to come into her room to see what was going on, “I’m hungry”

“Who _is_ babysitting us tonight?” Chase asked again, with purpose, now that his brother was here to fight for attention.

“Ms. Moran” Amanda waited, relishing in their shocked, scared, little faces before laughing, “I’m kidding, the Gomez-Harts are coming with pizza” She would _never_ ever let her three children be alone with Rita Moran---that woman was a real-life _witch_ with a capitol B. Trini and Kimberly were the only ones to know Amanda’s situation, she was thankful for friends who would step up and watch the kids whenever Amanda was in a bind.

The two boys hi-fived and skittered off getting the answers to their questions. Chase, undoubtedly was excited that the hot moms were coming over, while Riley just was hungry. Kendall hopefully would come out of her room with Emma coming as well.

Amanda looked at herself in the mirror and she was reminded of her old life, someone who enjoyed getting dolled up for a man or a night out on the town. Once upon a time she wasn’t so broken, a woman scrambling to pick the pieces up for the sake of the three kids depending on her. Maybe it was selfish to go on a date so soon with another man, but she was ready to put Ryan Heckyl behind her…it was time to stop putting her happiness on hold.

*****

The two agreed to meet downtown, closer to where Zack lived. He had made all the reservations and arrangements to get a table that had a view of ocean nearby. This was only a dinner, a dinner for two to finally take that next step into a place that wasn’t so _platonic._ Zack had a white dress shirt and a pair of black slacks, a simple, monochromatic look while Amanda came in her favorite first date green dress. One that she was proud she could fit into after three kids and an immense amount of pressure from her husband to get her body back to its modelesque physique.

Like a gentleman, when Amanda approached the table, Zack stood and pulled out her chair for her. “You look beautiful” To hear a man call her _beautiful_ with the utmost wonder in his eyes was something she had missed. Her own husband’s compliments felt hollow after Chase was born.

“Thank you…you clean up nice” Amanda was all too used to Uncle Zack and his casual looks, a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy. If it were chilly, she’d see him in his SDFD hoodie, proud of his place at the fire department. “I hope you weren’t waiting long” Her smile was apologetic as she sat down. She had to come in from Stone Canyon while this had to be a couple of blocks from his apartment.

“No, not at all, I’ve barely been here” He laughed, admittedly, “I was trying to get my hair to stay” He was always so honest and open, the young man pointing to his styled hair. Zack wanted to impress for their first date as well, having been looking forward to this as well.

There were two glasses of water already on the table as well as a basket of breadsticks, Amanda waited for the pair to place their dinner order before putting an end to their small back and forth talk. It was time to rip off the band aid, she wanted to be completely transparent with him, if this was going to work or go anywhere it was only fair to give him the out _now_ instead hitting him with it further down the line. “Before we start _whatever_ this is…I need you to know…I need you to _understand,_ that dating me isn’t easy. I come with a _lot_ of baggage.”

If three months into it Zack wanted to break up, he was a single man without any ties. Amanda came from a place where she also had _three_ young children under the age of ten. The stakes were higher for her, Zack didn’t have as much to lose here. Amanda wasn’t at a time in her life where she could be freer with her choices and make mistakes, she wanted a relationship, a companion…she was interested in someone that would stick around.

“When I was young, around Chase’s age” Zack started, understanding where Amanda was coming from with her concerns, “My shit-ass dad left my mom and I high and dry. I _know_ what it’s like to have a single mom.” He nodded, his confidence never wavering, “I’m not afraid of dating a woman with kids, that doesn’t scare me off.”

“I’m not _trying_ to scare you off…” Amanda trailed off, “I just have to be very upfront and put some disclaimers on this.”

“We don’t have to tell them anything different until you’re ready, or you think _they’re_ ready” Zack’s smile was gentle, comforting, Amanda always felt so safe around him---and a part of her was afraid of that. That it was so easy to let her guard down around him, Ryan started off as a nice man too. “To them I’m just a friend, Emma’s Uncle Zack.”

She was glad that he was understanding where she was coming from, and not trying to push that title onto them, “That’s a big step…they’re still…adjusting” Amanda had to take a long sip of her water, composing herself the best she could with breaks. “In more ways than one, I can’t…I can’t throw a boyfriend at them” She paused, “If that’s…if that’s what we are.”

“I’d like to be your boyfriend” Zack poured Amanda a new glass of water from the pitcher that was left on their table, “But only if that’s a step you want to take.”

“You have to know about their father…the _truth”_ Amanda watched as Zack’s brows furrowed, “I lied about a lot of things to cover my tracks. I didn’t move here from San Francisco. I didn’t have an _amicable divorce”_ Whenever Zack was around, so were other people, Trini’s extended family even. Amanda couldn’t tell the truth; she didn’t need many people to know the skeletons in her closet. But if Zack liked her, if Zack wanted to be in a _relationship_ with her, he _had_ to know…he had to know who Sarah was. “I’m still technically married.”

“Okay…” As a first responder in a big city, Zack was exposed to a lot of different types of families, different types of situations, he wasn’t _new_ to this sort of thing. His expression fell, his eyes averting down, he knew nothing _good_ was going to come out of this next question, “…What did he do to you?”

This wasn’t the place for the nitty and gritty details, “The short version? Hit me…shoved me around…the yelling…I was terrified of the man who was going to come home. If he had been drinking that night after another failure.” She went onto explain, “I didn’t have money, I didn’t have a place to go where he wouldn’t be able find me…to find them. It’s not easy to pick up your entire life and move, especially with _three_ kids to take care of, but I did…”

Amanda let out a shaky breath, she couldn’t cry, not here, not in public, not with the eyeliner she used. “Kendall tried to stop one of our spouts…” She started to pick apart a piece of bread to occupy her hands, “I didn’t care what happened to _me_ at that point but…the second one of the kids got involved I had to do _something.”_

Amanda glanced over to Zack shifting in his chair, a fist folded into his other hand, his jaw squared. He had grown up in the trailer park of Angel Grove, he had been around men who shoved their wives around. It made him mad that a guy could do that to the woman he vowed to love and protect, to a child, he was still listening, being supportive but oh…oh did he want to give her husband a piece of his mind.

“I changed our names, became shadows, I took the kids in the middle of the night and moved all the way down to Stone Canyon. My family has been doing what they can to hide me away from him. My kids are on a scholarship with Eastland and…look I understand if that’s too much, but it’s a life I want to leave behind and start new. I’m not Sarah Grey anymore but Amanda Clark, a single mom who’s just…trying to be the best parent I can” She finally took a bite of the bread she had shredded, it was pretty good, “I don’t know how much of my past Kimberly and Trini has told you but….you needed to know. I wanted you to know up front if this is too much…it’s taken me a year to _try_ again and I trust you…it scares the hell out of me, but I trust you.”

Zack knew that she had been separated from a previous relationship. That their relationship, no matter where it went, would start off difficult because she did have this former person in her life. He only figured it was working things out with an ex-husband, going on dates during weekends that the other guy had the kids. He never suspected…he never knew…Amanda was great at putting on the brave face, for blending where she had to. “Men like that make me sick to my stomach…I’m…so sor-“

“Don’t say you’re sorry…I’m not telling you all of this to _feel bad._ I don’t _want_ you to look at me like a victim. You never saw my past; at the time I didn’t want you to…you were a genuine man who wasn’t trying to throw me a bone or _save me._ I feel wanted when I’m with you, I feel like I’m finally getting a chance to start over, and do something for _me”_

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to ask you out” Zack smiled bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck, “But…Trini and Kimberly told me to wait…that they were going to find out if you were interested and when you were ready to…so I waited…and that’s hard” He laughed, “I’m an impatient guy, but…you are worth waiting for” He knew it would be awhile before the Clark kids were introduced to him as a _boyfriend,_ but now he understood that it may be some time for Amanda to open herself up to be touched by a man, _loved_ by a man. “We can go as slow as you need.”

“That’s good to hear” Amanda smiled, chuckling to herself, she _needed_ to expel a laugh after the bomb she had just dropped on him. “I’m not a put out on the first date kind of girl.”

“Oh damn” He faked being upset to laugh with her, “Then I guess in the spirit of being transparent…there’s some things I need to tell you before we get… _intimate.”_

“Okay…” If he could listen to her backstory, she was prepared for anything that he could throw her way. “I know about…” She had seen him shirtless at the pool when Riley was learning how to swim, Amanda had seen the scars, he opened himself up enough to trust her with that. “That doesn’t bother me.”

“I had the top surgery done years ago” He started to explain, “It was literally _such_ a weight lifted off my chest…in high school before my hormone treatment started and all of that…I was in a low place. A bad place. If I didn’t have Trini and Kimberly…I don’t know if I’d even _be_ here on this date with you” If Amanda were going to be so brutally honest about the darkest things in her life, he could open up about his. “When my mom died most of her life insurance went towards funeral costs, her medical bills and enough to cover my surgery…”

“I’m so sor…” She stopped her apology midway when he looked into her eyes, he wasn’t telling her for her to feel bad for him. It was something she needed to know too. “Right, okay…so…” Amanda wasn’t sure _how_ to ask this sort of question, she had never really known a transgendered person before Zack. “Are you planning on…” She didn’t know _what_ it was called, “Bottom surgery? Sorry I don’t know…is that stepping over a line”

Zack laughed lightly, his smile still warm, he wasn’t offended at all, “Nah you’re okay…you’re okay” He assured her, “And…in a perfect world I’d love to have that done, I’ve been trying to save up money for it but it’s expensive…even if I had the money, I’m not sure I’m _ready_ for it…” He only worked as a city fire fighter, insurance would only cover so much, and his out-of-pocket cost was steep. “I just…wanted to be up front with you if you were expecting…”

“Oh… _oh”_ It dawned on her what he was talking about, “I’m not…that’s _not_ …no”

“…It’s a sensitive subject for me…”

Amanda reached over the table and held onto his hand, “Then we take this slow” The two had built up enough trust with one another to reach a point where they could have a conversation, “I’m not going anywhere, there is absolutely _no rush._ Just a man and a woman on an old-fashioned date”

Zack squeezed her hand, letting out the breath he didn’t even realize he was clenching onto, “We take this slow.”

*****

As they agreed upon in the restaurant the two would take their relationship at a slower pace. Zack and Amanda shared their first kiss when he walked her to her car that evening, as she needed to get back to her kids from her ‘PTA Meeting’. The pair couldn’t go on physical _dates_ as often as regular couples, Amanda would have to find someone to watch over her children on those days, that proved to be a challenge. Chase was easiest of the trio to pawn off on a friend, he was the most popular of her three kids. He was so charismatic that friends came easy to him. Riley had a couple of friends from his class that would sometimes invite him over to play video games. It was _Kendall_ that gave them the most trouble, as she didn’t have any friends of her own. According to Kendall, Emma didn’t _count_ as a friend as the two only interacted due to their _parents_ being friends. No, Amanda could connect the dots, Emma usually came as a packaged deal with Gia—a girl she knew Kendall didn’t gel with. So, instead, Amanda enlisted her in girl scouts to try and network and build a social circle for her. If the couple were _desperate_ for a specific day...Trini and Kimberly came in clutch for all three. Those two were a blessing.

Even if they couldn’t physically be together, Zack and Amanda would always be texting one another and sharing bits their days to bring a smile to their partner’s face. When the Gomez-Hart family threw events like birthday parties, or cookouts in their backyard, they would always sit near each other. To the Clark kids, their mom and Zack were just close friends.

Time went on, slowly but surely, and Zack and Amanda had grown more comfortable physically with one another. When the stars aligned and Amanda was childfree for an entire evening, they would end their downtown dates at Zack’s bachelor pad apartment. This was Amanda’s opportunity to watch something that _wasn’t_ animated or geared towards a younger audience. (Or in Kendall’s case a _period piece)._

It took her a bit to feel comfortable in a man’s apartment, but she trusted Zack, she felt warm with him when he put his arm around her and pulled her close. A slow kiss turned into more. The two explored one another’s body as if they were nervous and anxious teenagers making out on their parents’ couch. It was during one of those nights where Zack opened himself to pull Amanda into his lap. He trusted her, he felt _comfortable_ with her to take that next step.

Zack started to be around Amanda and the kids more, without the guise of having to be around a _group_ or their mutual friend in Kimberly and Trini. He would go with them to the pool during the hot days of summer, on nature hikes, and other little day adventures. Their favorite place was the movie theatre so the couple could sneak holding hands while sitting in a row behind the three kids. Zack even treated the Clark family to a tour of where he worked, the San Diego fire department. Riley and Chase were stoked about the cool truck, and the station’s dog (where Chase promptly tried to convince Amanda that _they_ needed a dalmatian as well). Kendall, the observant one was the one who stuck back by her mother as her brothers were having fun with the boys.

“Is there something going on between you and Zack?” Kendall asked, always the astute one.

“What? Where would you get an idea like that?” Amanda laughed, feeling guilty, if she was going to tell her kids about her relationship with Zack…she wanted to tell them all at once. “No, he’s my friend.”

“Your friend” The little girl squinted, not sure if she bought the answer her mother had given her, “He’s been around a _lot_ lately.”

“Friends hang out with friends all the time….he’s no different than Mrs. Gomez-Hart” A pause and a long nod, “And Mrs. Gomez-Hart” Only…that was a lie. Amanda had no intentions of grinding up against Trini or Kimberly’s crotch during a heated make session.

“Mmmm _okay”_ Kendall shrugged her shoulders, deciding to let it go for now with a, “But if he _were_ your boyfriend…I’d be okay with that” As the oldest, Kendall remembered the most about her father, Amanda’s husband. She saw what her mother had to go through firsthand to get her and her brothers somewhere safe. Somewhere they could be _happy,_ “He’s nice…and I haven’t seen you smile so much since we moved here. So…”

Always the observant one.

“He really is great…”

*****

Kendall was out with the girl scouts for an overnight retreat, Chase and Riley were booked for sleepovers with their friends. Amanda wanted to mix up their date night, instead of going downtown to his downtown apartment, she invited Zack for a homecooked meal in her home. This was the first time the two were _alone_ in _her_ space since they had started dating. She had even asked him to spend the night, with no pressure, she had just missed sharing a bed with a companion. The couple laid in bed, Zack’s arms around her as she rested her head on his bare chest, fingers tracing along his abs.

“I didn’t think I’d ever be in this sort of place again” A part of her had given up on _dating_ and _love._ That she had already had her story played out, her marriage, her children. There was a time where she made peace with the possibility that she would never open herself up again, for the sake of Kendall, Chase and Riley. Zack was a new beginning, a new start, he was the one that pulled her out of the pitfall of her previous relationship. Even her kids had noticed that she was _happier,_ that she wasn’t going through the motions of her days, trying her best to make through. Not only with Zack, but she had _friends_ in Trini and Kimberly…she wasn’t _alone_ anymore. 

Amanda sat up, bringing a hand to his cheek to pull him into a gentle kiss, “I love you” Three simple words for how much she felt for this man below her. She loved him so much, loved the way he was with her kids, a male figure that they could look up to. He had never treated them like a burden, _ever._ This relationship came with baggage, and they didn’t have the luxury of being alone whenever they wanted. He had such patience having to wait weeks before her hectic calendar lined up for a date. She loved that he wanted to spend time with her children, get to know their interests. He even could get Kendall out of her room to have a game night with the family. _Family._ Was that a crazy thought?

Zack smiled bashfully, “Ah…you beat me to the punch” He had always had a hard time finding a girl he was comfortable with, let alone someone he truly had feelings for to put himself in a vulnerable place. He had girlfriends in the past, sure, but each relationship ended in heartbreak. Zack couldn’t find anyone _real,_ someone he could see a future with. Then Trini and Kimberly SOS texted him to help a friend’s kids’ birthday party and his life hadn’t been the same since. “I love you too, Amanda.” He was sure to say her name. _Amanda,_ not Sarah. If anyone knew what it was like to have a dead name and a past to get away from, it was Zack.

The two shared another kiss sealing their first confession of their feelings. He then pressed his forehead against hers, “I’m _ready…_ if…”

“This wasn’t about that” Amanda shook her head; she didn’t invite Zack over to try and _pressure_ him into taking a step he wasn’t ready for. She was perfectly fine calling it a night and sharing a bed, something they could never do at his apartment. “I’m not expecting…anything…”

“No…I ah…I’ve been ready for a while now.” He confessed, “But…I wanted to wait for the right time…” Zack didn’t want it to be rushed, he didn’t want to rent out a hotel for the night. “A time where you wouldn’t have to leave me right after.” Her responsibility was always with her kids first, and he was okay with being second to them in her life. There’d be a day when the kids were older, when this would be easier, but now, this was the hand the couple was dealt.

The choice boiled down to Amanda. Here in her bed, in her home, moving to the next step of their relationship would be on _her_ terms. Though it had been a while since she had let anyone in, Zack didn’t make her nervous, or self-conscious. He was her safe place, a person who she had built up so much trust with, “I’m ready too…” This wasn’t something that they had rushed into, every step of the way the pair made sure the other was comfortable.

“Give me a minute to get ready…” He cupped her chin to kiss her one more time before getting out of bed to grab the bag he had packed, going into the restroom so she wouldn’t have to watch his process. Zack always considered himself to be a brave man, in high school he was never afraid to take risks, as a firefighter he had to face down one of the toughest and destructive of elements. But the first-time having sex with a new partner felt like he was a kid again, trying to get the courage to jump off the high dive. Once he made the leap, he was fine but…the buildup…that was where the nerves tested him the most. Tested his choices if who he let in could stick with him in the long run.

Zack relied on packers with his day-to-day life, but when it came to sex it was most comfortable for him to use a flesh-colored strap on. He had to look at himself in the bathroom mirror one more time, god, he loved seeing his shirtless body reflecting at him. “Okay” He was ready, he was ready to be with the woman he had fallen so hard for.

While Zack was getting ready in the bathroom, Amanda had taken off her clothes as well, greeting her boyfriend completely in the nude. He was in a vulnerable place, and she wanted to match the gesture. This was her, a mom with the three kids, her body never what it used to be. The couple didn’t say a single word but shared a kiss that said _everything._ This was more than just a physical connection between the two of them, but a slew of emotions, that had been building up overtime. So long have they waited and wanted one another. The walls had come down and they came to a place where they could just _be._ Nothing holding them back now. Zack and Amanda were in perfect sync with one another as Zack stepped forward, Amanda back towards the bed. 

Amanda had been with other guys before Ryan even came into the picture. There were the football players, and men she had met during the days she was trying to make it as a model. Not even her husband could hold a candle to the way Zack was so attentive to her body, what _she_ needed…no, she had never felt like an _equal_ partner when it came to sex. Sometimes it felt like the men in her life didn’t see her as a _person_ but an object. The hot girl, unlocking an achievement. Oh, the number of times she had to fake it just to coddle their fragile egos. With Zack? He wanted her to come first, which was a new concept for her. Her whole body was sensitive to his touch, his tongue, the way he thrusted into her. Pressure built and built and built sky high to a point where she couldn’t take it anymore, a wave of release turned her legs to jello as her body pulsated shockwaves through her body. _Holy. Shit._

“To think…” Zack grinned, beaming with a sense of pride as he leaned up to kiss her forehead. “That was just round one.”

“Give me a sec” A bit dazed, Amanda would need a couple of moments to recover let alone go at it again. She had never _ever_ come that hard, or that fast. _Wow._ “Because you’re next, cowboy” If there was one thing Amanda was incredibly good at…it was satisfying a man. Zack was in for a long night.

*****

The next morning Amanda had woken up in bed alone, not even knowing what time it was. She could smell sizzling bacon from the kitchen, Zack had to have been making breakfast. Amanda slapped around the end table in search of her phone to try and connect all the pieces. _10:47._ Her body was so exhausted from the night before that she slept in so late oh no. Texts from Riley’s friends’ mother, she was dropping Amanda’s youngest off early. Crap. _Crap!_ Soon Chase would be on his way back, and she would have to go pick up Kendall from girl scouts. Her whole morning had gotten away from her because she slept through it. Rushing around the room on wobbly legs she found presentable clothes and brushed her hair out before going downstairs to see that Riley was _already home_ and Zack was cooking breakfast for him.

“Morning mom!” Riley greeted, grabbing Zack’s attention away from the stove.

“I tried waking you up” Zack’s smile was soft, apologetic, “But you were _out.”_ God, Amanda hadn’t slept like that in _years._ He reached over to the cabinets to pull down Amanda’s favorite green mug, filling it with coffee that he had made. Zack certainly was comfortable around her kitchen. “Here”

Coffee, energy, a godsend, “Oh” She sat down next to her son, how did Zack explain to him the reason he was here? “Thank you.”

“I didn’t know adults could have sleepovers too” Riley answered the question Amanda didn’t get the chance to ask out loud. “You must’ve played video games _all night”_ To the little boy, that’s what sleepovers meant, staying up past midnight to lay on sleeping bags and play games at a volume the adults couldn’t hear. He thought he was so sneaky.

“You could say that…” Zack trailed off, turning back to the sink to hide his little smirky smile. _Boys._ With Zack around she was very much outnumbered. If only he could see the warning glare, she was sending his way, this was _too close._

“Really?” Riley’s eyes widened, “What did you play?” Currently he was very much into a couple of different genres of games. Pokémon, and fantasy turn based strategy games.

“Ah something _you’re_ not allowed to yet” Amanda was tired, but she could recover enough to mom.

“Oh GTA” He assumed with a heavy sigh. The young mother had _no_ idea what that stood for.

“Here you should eat something” Zack set a full plate of bacon and eggs on Amanda’s plate, the toaster popping out a freshly warm bagel to complete the quick meal.

“I have to go get Kendall” She was _definitely_ going to be late at this rate. Amanda ran a hand through her hair, she couldn’t be _here_ to wait for Chase to come home and out getting Kendall at the same time. “But Chase should be here any minute and…”

“Well, I can stay with Riley” Zack offered, sitting down across from her, “Hold down the fort for Chase while you’re getting Kendall.”

Zack was amazing in the way that he never _hesitated_ to help. He didn’t have to do that; he didn’t _have_ to watch her kids, or step up, or play this role of dad. “We’ll be okay here, right?”

“Yeah! I can show you the Galarian Articuno I caught last night!” Amanda was sure it wouldn’t be long for Riley to convince Zack to put Pokémon Go on his phone so they could play together.

“Are you sure?” Some romantic morning. Amanda had slept through the important, not wanting to get out of bed yet snuggles. The day was already slipping through her fingers, she didn’t even get the chance to kiss her love good morning.

“I’m positive” It took everything for Zack not to reach over and hold her hand, making a gesture that wasn’t platonic in front of the youngest. The look in his eyes said it all, that he was _here_ for the long run and that she wasn’t _alone_ anymore. “You gotta finish your breakfast first.”

“Yeah mom” Riley agreed, she was always on the kids’ case to finish their meal, the little boy didn’t hesitate to throw that back at her.

“Thank you” She mouthed to her boyfriend. Thank you for being there for her kids, thank you for breakfast, thank you for an amazing night, thank you for showing her that her life didn’t _have_ to end when she ran away to Stone Canyon.

*****

Kendall wouldn’t be so oblivious like Riley, she was much more observant, and knew how the world worked in ways he couldn’t wrap his head around. Chase? Amanda didn’t think he would really _ask questions._ If the mother and daughter duo came home to Zack and the boys at home, Kendall could only put two and two together. Zack lived in downtown San Diego, as much as he visited during the day, there was no way he’d be coming over on the earlier side. Her oldest was already suspicious of their budding closeness. As much as Amanda _wanted_ to tell her three kids at the same time, this was the right time to tell her daughter. Her only girl.

“You’re late” Kendall tossed her bag into the back seat before coming around to the passenger seat, “I was waiting.”

“I know sweetie, I’m sorry, I overslept” Which…that wasn’t a lie. Her day had caught her by surprise, and she had to hit the ground running.

“Are you okay?” She asked, glancing over her mother’s appearance. Ever since the move, Amanda had tried to do what she could to fit in with the other moms at Eastland. As a former model it was easy to appear richer than she was, but today, she had her hair up in a ponytail and the minimum when it came to make up. It was a rush job to get over here when she did.

“I’m okay…I’m better than okay” Amanda started to pull the car away, driving it to a nearby community park so she could take advantage of the parking lot, a chance to stop the car and really _talk_ to her.

Kendall’s brows furrowed in confusion, mostly because Riley wasn’t in the car with them. “That gazebo is a gym” While Riley had to use Amanda’s phone to play…Kendall had her own tablet to connect to Pokémon Go. Her oldest and youngest had a lot of similar interests while Chase did not care in the slightest.

“We’re not here to do that.” Amanda wanted to put that to rest, “We need to talk…I have something I need to tell you, that the boys don’t know yet”

“Sounds serious” Kendall unbuckled herself so she could turn in the chair, bringing one of her legs up to get more comfortable in the seat. “Is everything okay?”

When they first moved, Amanda had relied a lot of help with the boys on her daughter. Kendall was one who had to grow up so fast to handle their situation. While Amanda had to focus on paperwork, getting a job, trying to get them into school, changing their legal names and identities…Kendall was the one to keep the boys distracted, to keep them from getting confused, and to explain to Riley especially that they would never see their dad again. She helped in ways a child shouldn’t _have to,_ Kendall was the glue that kept this family from falling apart at its most vulnerable time.

“Everything’s just fine sweetie” Amanda knew how Kendall’s brain worked, that any serious talk triggered a chain reaction of the little girl thinking of what the worst-case scenario could be and then how to prepare for it. “I wanted to talk to you about Zack.”

“…Is _he_ okay?”

“Yes, no one is hurt, everyone is okay” She reiterated, turning in her seat as well to mirror her daughter. “As you know…we’ve gotten very close lately and that he’s been spending more time with the family.”

“You’re dating” Kendall concluded with a nod, already assuming where this conversation is going, “Right? That’s what you’re going to tell me? Mom I _know._ I’m not blind…the PTA doesn’t meet _that_ much.”

Amanda knew she couldn’t get anything past her girl, Kendall had been suspicious for awhile now, and it was time that she stopped lying about it. “I didn’t want to bring a man around the house, around you guys unless I was sure…you kids are my number one and if any one of you has a problem with him. He’s gone” She sighed, “I also didn’t want to get your hopes up…in case this didn’t work out…” Amanda couldn’t bring around this amazing man only to pull the rug out from under them.

“You didn’t put on your make up today” The young girl made the observation, “You didn’t _need_ to. There’s nothing to hide…no bruises” Kendall tilted her head, “You should be with someone who doesn’t leave you crying in the dark” Always so damn mature for her age, “We like Zack, he’s fun… _I_ trust him.” Kendall’s stamp of approval weighed heavier than Chase and Riley’s. Amanda wanted her daughter, her only little girl, to be comfortable with the man she was with.

“C’mere” Amanda motioned for her daughter to get closer so she could wrap her arms around her in a hug. “Thank you…I want to tell the boys when we get home, but you deserved to know” And not be surprised or caught of guard. “I love you kids so much.”

“I love you too, mom” Kendall’s voice was small, she had let out a huge sigh of relief. Zack being more involved with their lives was a _good_ thing. After the past couple of years, the Clark family was due for the dark storm clouds to let the sun finally shine. “….I don’t want to go home just yet; can we get frozen yogurt? Just the two of us?” 

“Of course, we can” Amanda pulled away from the hug to pull her phone out of her purse, “But first let’s put something in that gym for your brother” She was _not_ paying actual money for this game.

*****

When Amanda and Kendall returned home, they gathered the boys to sit down in the living room. It was time for everyone to be on the same page. She couldn’t keep the truth about Zack hidden away forever, after that night, she was done sneaking around her own children. Amanda loved Zack, and her kids, it was time to stop _lying_ about little details and being honest with them.

“What’s going on?” Chase asked, as he and his siblings were asked to be seated on the couch. Amanda and Zack sitting across from them on the floor. He wasn’t the brightest of the three, but he could feel that tension in the air, that something serious was going to be said.

After telling Kendall, and it ended well, Amanda felt more confident in telling the rest of her kids. This was like ripping off a bandage, “Zack and I are dating” She reached over to hold the man of the hour’s hand, “We’ve been dating for about nine months now…we wanted to be sure before we told you kids, but we think it’s time for you to know the truth. That he’s my boyfriend”

“What!? No way!” Chase was utterly shocked by the news, all this time he thought they were just friends, taking whatever, they said at face value.

“Really?” Riley’s question was full of hope, but he was still a little behind the other two, “What does that mean? Is he moving in?”

“No…” Amanda put a finger up, she was not quite ready for _that_ step yet, “No we’re taking things slow…he may stay the night for sleepovers but as of right now he’s not moving in with us.”

“Oh, like last night?” Riley tilted his head, the only one of the three who knew Zack had spent the night before.

Kendall and Chase exchanged a _look,_ before Kendall turned her head back to face her mother, her eyebrows raising. _Knowing._

“Ha, something like that” Zack chuckled lightly, “There’s a lot of steps before we get to that point…if we get to that point…” He didn’t want to overstep his boundaries here with Amanda and her kids. Would he like to one day move in with the woman he loved? Yes. But they both knew they weren’t ready for such a big step. He still had his job out in the city that he had to figure out how to work around that. There were a lot of factors to think about when it came to a big move.

“What do we call you?” Chase asked tilting his head, was there a title for mom’s boyfriend? Zack wasn’t exactly their _stepdad._

“Zack is fine” He reached over to rub Amanda’s back, gently supporting her through this conversation. “Nothing has to change there.”

Chase didn't seem phased by the news at all, it was Riley who looked contemplative now that it had sunk in. "Are you okay?" Amanda reached over to rest her hand on her son's knee, "Your feelings are just as important and if something is wrong you can talk to me"

"What about dad?" He asked, sheepishly, out of the three he was the one that had the hardest time with the separation. Riley didn't see the relationship the same way Chase or Kendall did, he was only told that his dad was a bad man that they had to hide from. That they were never going to see him again.

"Ahhh if he comes around, Zack could take him" Chase motioned both of his arms drastically in Zack's direction, "You see the muscles on him?"

"He's not coming back, he's not going to find us." Kendall folded her arms, very short and curt about the subject, "To me, he's dead." Chase wasn't arguing that, the little boy in the backwards baseball cap nodded in agreement.

No matter how much Amanda wanted to distance herself from the past, the idea of her husband, their past as the Heckyl's it would never truly go away. It was part of them, their story, their biological father.

Riley numbly nodded, with his mother dating someone new it really solidified that there was no going back to their life in LA. "Okay..." He trailed off, really, out of the three kids he was the one that bonded with Zack the most. "But if you hurt her Imma hyper beam you into space" It'd be more threatening coming from Kendall, little Riley with his arms folded his brows furrowed, it was his best tough guy act.

"I'm never ever going to hurt your mom" Zack emphasized, wanting to make that promise very clear to the one's most important to his girlfriend. He took Amanda's hand in his, bringing it up to his lips for a gentle kiss.

"Alright alright don't get sappy now, that's my mom you're kissing" Chase eased the tension by cracking a joke. As the cool older brother, he set the precedence, that Riley always struggled to try and match.

"Boys" Kendall sighed, rolling her eyes. It took her a moment before she realized, "Oh no" She looked to her mother, downtrodden, "We're out numbered" With Zack around he officially broke the tie of boys to girls, giving the boys an edge over Kendall and Amanda.

"I'm sure I can sway his vote" Amanda kissed his cheek, resulting in Riley and Chase to both groan loudly. "Okay, okay, family meeting over...you guys can go play, or whatever"

"Actually..." Chase glanced between his siblings before asking, "Can we go to the skate park today? I wanna show Zack this trick I've been working on"

"If you're free..." Amanda didn't mean for Zack to sign up his entire day off with her and the kids.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be"


End file.
